Plaiting attachment for skirts.



No. 748,396. PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903.

PLAITING ATTACHMENT FOR SKIRTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1903.

N O M 0 D E L Mam/55555: v [/WEAZTOR I NITED STATES Patented December29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

PLAITING ATTACHMENT Foe SKIRTS.

srnclrrcarxon forming part of Letters serene No. 748,396, dated December29, 1903.

Application filed March 25, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILBURN M. MERRILL, of Weedsport, in the county ofCayuga, in the State of New York, have invented new andusefullmprovements inPlaitingAttachments for Skirt-Bands and SimilarGarments, of which the following, taken in connection with p theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a plaiting attachment for bands of skirts andother garments in which it is desired to maintain a series of uniformfolds or plaits and to permit the number of folds to be increased ordiminished at will.

My object, therefore, is to provide a simple, practical, and efficientdevice upon which may be folded a variable number of uniform plaits, thedevice being adapted to be worn with the garment to hold the plaits fromspreading or unfolding, and thereby to always maintain a symmetricalseries of folds.

It will be evident from the subsequent description that this device isapplicable to many uses in the art to which it relates-as, for instance,in the formation of multifold darts, which may be arranged at regular orirregular intervals in the garment, and particularly at the bands of theinner or outer skirts and waists. It is also apparent that if it isdesired to form plaits in the outer garments, in which instance portionsof the devices might be exposed, they may be formed of silver or goldplated metal or otherwise ornamented to add to the pleasing appearanceof the garment.

In Figure l of the drawings I have shown a portion of a skirt having itswaistband provided with a series of plaits or multifold darts as foldedupon and held in position by my improved plaiting attachment. Fig. 2 isan enlarged transverse horizontal sectional View, through a series ofplates, showing more clearly the application of my invention thereto.Fig. 3 is a face view of one of the detached plaiting devices.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

In order to demonstrate the practicability of this invention I haveshown a portion of a Serial No. 14:9,426. (N0 model.)

able metal or equivalent material, having its opposite ends bentbackwardly in opposite directions for forming open-sided loops orhook-shape extremities 6. The bar 5 is of sufficient length to take in aconsiderable number of folds, and yet is short enough so that its endslie close to the waist of the wearer Without distorting the garment orperceptibly bending the bar, and any number of these bars may be used toform as many multifold darts as may be desired.

It is evident that this device is reversible and interchangeable and canbe used in either a vertical or horizontal position, is simple andeconomical in manufacture, and does not add materially to the cost ofthe garment to which it is applied.

The plaits or folds may be formed on either end of the bar by simplyslipping the eyelets successively over the hook-shape end in the mannerseen in Fig. 2t. e., the bar is hooked from either end into theeyelets,which are then moved along the bar toward the opposite' hook,the latter forming an abutting shoulder for the folds-and when asuflicient number of plaits or folds are made the remaining parts of theband may be extended so that the end eyelets pull directly against theclosed ends of theloops, as seen in Fig. 2.

Any suitable means may be employed for fastening the edges of the slit 3together, and for this purpose I have shown clasp-sections 7, similar tothe ordinary glove-fasteners; but it is evident that an ordinary hook oreye or equivalent fastener may be used, if desired, this feature formingno part of my present invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-- r 1. Aplaiting attachment for skirt-bands, a barpassed through the band at intervals to form plaits in the band, saidbar having hookvals, and a bar inserted through the eyelets shapeextremities interlocking with the band and provided with hook-shapeextremities for to hold the plaits from spreading.

2. In combination with a garment-band 5 having a series of eyeletsarranged side by side, a bar inserted through successive eyelets tofOlDl plaits in the band, and means on the bar to prevent spreading ofthe plaits.

3. In combination With a skirt-band having 10 a row of eyelets arrangedat regular interthe purpose described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of March,1903.

MILBURN M. MERRILL.

Witnesses:

ISAAC CHADDERDON, CARL L. BURNETT.

